Nanoscale luminescent materials, owing to their unique optical properties and excellent biocompatibility, exhibit tremendous potential for applications in the biomedical field. This special issue focuses on cutting-edge research in nanoscale luminescent materials, particularly their applications in biosensing, imaging, and therapy, and brings together a collection of innovative and practical research findings.

Yang Bai and colleagues from Jilin University explored the classification, properties, and biomedical value of drug-derived carbon dots, emphasizing the potential of carbon dots synthesized from drug precursors in enhancing drug solubility and biosafety. Wu Changfeng and colleagues from the Southern University of Science and Technology systematically summarized the latest advances in optical sensing and monitoring technologies for in vivo glucose, highlighting the design principles of fluorescence and phosphorescence sensing techniques and their applications in continuous subcutaneous blood glucose monitoring and tumor glucose metabolism monitoring, providing new non-invasive monitoring tools for diabetes management. Zhang Chunxia and colleagues from the Baogang Rare Earth Research Institute in Tianjin proposed a novel method utilizing stable single-chain antibodies to protect fluorescent gold nanoclusters, enabling rapid and sensitive detection of the rabies virus in living cells and advancing the application of metal nanocluster fluorescent probes in antigen-targeted tracing and therapy. Ding Dan and colleagues from Nankai University reviewed the construction strategies of afterglow luminescent materials based on dioxetane intermediates and their latest progress in bioimaging, demonstrating the advantages of afterglow imaging technology in avoiding autofluorescence interference from biological tissues and improving the imaging signal-to-noise ratio.

Additionally, Yang Fan and colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University investigated the luminescence mechanisms of mechanoluminescent materials and their applications in biomedicine, including biosensing and near-infrared bioimaging, providing new tools for biomedical research. Liu Yanyan and colleagues from Fudan University systematically reviewed the research progress in lanthanide-doped luminescent nanomaterials for neuroimaging and modulation, showcasing their application prospects in non-invasive, high spatiotemporal resolution imaging and precise neural modulation. Sun Lingdong and colleagues from Peking University reviewed the development of near-infrared II luminescent probes and their applications in biomedical imaging, emphasizing their advantages in enhancing in vivo imaging depth and resolution. Ding Binbin and colleagues from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored the research progress in photothermally induced pyroptosis for tumor therapy, demonstrating the potential of phototherapy in precisely regulating pyroptosis and activating systemic anti-tumor immune responses.

Chen Xueyuan and his team from the Institute of Physical Structure of Fujian, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have studied CuInSe2 quantum dots with near-infrared excitation/emission and their application in adenosine triphosphate detection. Zhang Yun and colleagues from the same institute reviewed the applications of aptamer-sandwich immunosensors in biological detection, showcasing their advantages in improving detection selectivity and sensitivity. Li Yang and colleagues from Ningbo University constructed an aqueous-stable perovskite quantum dot fluorescent bioprobe for rapid quantitative detection of cystatin C, offering a new strategy for home and on-site rapid detection of renal function-related biomarkers.

This special issue not only showcases the latest research achievements of nanoscale luminescent materials in the biomedical field but also discusses the challenges faced in clinical translation and future development directions, providing valuable references and insights for researchers in related fields.